Process of producing truck-frames.



' I. A. RANDBL. PROCESS OF PRODUCING TRUCK FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.10,1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETS--BHEET1.

fzwezzZaz"! BykbAZwzmq s I. A. RANDBL. PROCESS OF PRODUCING TRUCK FRAMES.

APPLICATION I'I KSD IISB..10. 1912 Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETS-$313111 2.

his,

I. A. RANDEL.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING TRUCK FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.10,1912.

1,076,645, Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I. A. 'ANDYL] PROCESS OF PRODUGING TRUCK PRAMzS APPLICATION FILED FEB.10,1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

IVAR A. RANDEL, OF cmcsoo, ILniNoIs, Assmmm 'ro ucconn m COMPANY, A

' com onsrron or mentors.

- PROCESS O-F PRODUCING TRUCK PJlAKES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 'atented Oct. 21,

Application filed February 10, L912. Serial No; 676,798.

,citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lll-inois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Truck-Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the inventiomsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of truck side frames from commercidl rolled steel or iron beams and the novelty herein claimed resides in the process of producing the same.

Particularly, the invention is intended as an improvement on the process of producing from commercial I-beams, that type of truck side frame which is disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States, No.

1,006,549, granted to Alonzo H. Hastings, of date October 24th, 1911, and my co-pending application entitled Truck frames,

filed April 12th, 1913, under Serial Number- The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a completed truck side frame made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec-- tion taken on the line 110 m on Fig. 1, some parts bein broken away; Fig. 4 is a vertical section ta en on the line at a." on Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but illustrating certain features in the development of the completed side frames; Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the two main frame elements, to-wit, the top and bottom truss members of the side frame, as they appear after having been stamped from a commercial I-beam, and before they have been bent and intimately connected; Figs. 7 and 8 are views, respectively, in plan and end elevation showing the spring plank saddle removed from the truck side frame; Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are views, respectively, in side elevation, face elevation, and plan, showing one of the column guides as it appears immediately before it is applied in the side frame; Fig. 12 is a side elevation showing ,as a part of either of the blanks above noted,

a. commercial I-beain from the Hide frame is constructed; Fig. 13 a corresponding to Fig. 12 but showing-byes:- hat'ch lines, the blanks that are punched from the web of the I-beam as ani l4 and 1,5 are views, in diagam'matie Ian, illustrating the manner in which banks for the spring plank saddle and for the column guides are stamped or cut from blanks )6 punched from the web of the I-beam; and Fig. 16 is a. transverse vertical section taken through one of the columns of the frame, illustrating a modified method of reducing the vertical dimension of the side frame.

The construction of the truck side frame will be made clear by the description of the manner in which the improved process is carried out to form the said side frame.

The numeral 1;, Figs. 12 and 13, indicates a large andheavy commercialform of rolled I-bearn, from the web of which, flat blanks 2 and 3 are punched out leaving vertically alined but separate web portions 4 that are adapted to form the webs of the frame columns'. The web portions 5 punched from 7 between the vertically alined column webs 4 might be separately punched, or punched but, as shown, they are punched as a part of the blank 2. The very important purpose of severing the column forming webs 4, by the removal of the intermediate portion thereof, will be hereinafter made clear.

In Fi 1.3, the upper portion of the beam w "ich is contained between the points marked (I *9, s apted to form-the top} arch bar or compression member 6 of? truck side frame, while the lower port on! thereof that they are made of such vertical dimeii- 10 5 sions andare so constructed that the inter- 1 lock at their upper ends with the we of the j compression member 6. and at their lowr ends, with the web of the tension member; 7

of the side frame, and thereby very greatly 1 130 ,nitial-stop I in the construction of the side frame; F igs.

es contained between the a marked y -y is adaptedto form the bot tom arch bar or tension member of said A,

bi y ji fi may be re it may '5 idity of te sie frame. er feature of the improve went over he said Hastings potent, these bolster columns are bent and formed from the blanks which were punched from the Ibeazn. The punching from the web of the I-beairi 2 for the bolster column, and She blanks 9 no are both of the same Yerticul mirth. lt is evident that column guides huuied from blanks cut from the 1e blunt .itlords n sp 'web of the I-beuui will have suflieient vertical .(liinensions t interlock at their upper and lower ends with the webs of tl a compression and tension members of the truck sidefmu'ie, only when they are cut from an I-beum primarily having greater depth than the depth or maximum vertical dimension ot the completed truck side frame. l-lienee, the obvious importance of severing the. upper and lower members the I-beani and cutting portions from the webs at which are left "to l u the webs of the frame columns. The yeri "ml dimensions of the side frame ced otherwise than by cutting; portions from the column webs. For in \stsnee, this n'iight be done by upsetting, as shown in Fig. 18, but the former method is the simpler and, generally, the most practical way of accrunplishing the result. To illustrate the above pointmoreclearly, ed that in shifty-ton car, a 2st 'c'in be'used. The space rethe top and bottom, or in compression and tension ide ifrziiues epproxinmtely 1S niches, and. depth of the side frame shouli'l be s 'iproxiinately inches at the center or ii'lterniedis te portion; Otherwise ststei'i, about: 2 inches are cut from bet-ween the sections of the column webs l and the top bottom members are blullgllt about 2 inchescloser together. Hence, when the colinc-ii quis'erl other in uicr hers of the;

' 11mg; guides are made from the punched blanks 3, they are overlapped, at their upper and lower ends, one inch with the web flanges of the top and bottom members of the side frame. Fig. 15 illustrates the manner in which the blanks for two of these column guides 8 are punched from a single punched "blank 3. These blanks for the column guides are preferably formed with extensions 9 which are adapted to form brake hangers, and at their upper and lower edges they are urine with notches 8 that are adapted to reeei the web flanges of the top and bottcui': members of the side frames, and to interlock therewith, as already indicated. Figs. 1, 2, 3' and 4 show the eolunuiguides bent into form and applied to the column webs 4. In Fig. 11, full lines show one of but with the lower flanges end the brake hunger {inn 9 left in position which makes it an easy matter to apply the column guides to the column webs Q. The column guides are then applied, as shown in Fig. 5, and are rigidly secured thereto, in a suitable manner, but preferably by welding the same with what is known as electric spot welding, in which case, spot welds 10 are placed right over the gaps between the abutting ends oi the column webs 4, thus securing them te gether and to the embracing flanges of the eolunnz. guides. Other spot welds 101 are prele .t 11y placed above and below the welds 10 to furl: er secure the flanges of the column guides to the column webs at. The brake hanger arms 9 and the lower flanges of the column guides 8 are thenpressed into the position as shown in Figs. 1, Q, 3 and 4,

end indicated by dotted lines inFi 11.

The blank forthe spring plank saddle is punched from the blank 2 (see Fig. 14)

.wherein the crosshatch lines indicate the portions that are cut oil from the said blank 2 to form the blank for the said spring plank saddle. The spring; I hink saddle is formed by folding the bliin 2 approximately as shown in F '7 and 8. The underturned ends of the saddle ii are spaced apart far enough to straddle the web of the bottom or tension nien'iber 7 of the frame, and it rests on the llan es of the said member 7 and in tel-locks therewith. The saddle 11 is riveted, or otherwise rigidly secured to the horizontal flanges of angle iron cross trunsoms 12, the upper flanges of which are riveted, or otherwise rigidly secured to the lower flanges of the column guides 8. Preferably, the lower end portions of the column guides are oil-set, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and iillers 13 are interposed between the lower flanges thereof and the vertical flanges of the trunsoius 12. The angle transonis 12 :iil'ord the desired cross lie between the lower portions of the two truck. side frames, but it is obvious that this cross tie mighttake different forms. Y

The order in which the different steps of this improved process may be carried out may be varied somewhat, but preferably, the order is as follows: First, punching out the blanks from the I-beam, as indicated on Fig. Second, cutting the top and bottom members to proper length, as also indicated by letters 3/ and y, shown in Fig. 13. Third, bending ends of top and bottom niembers, as shown in Pig. 6, and in bringing the hori zontul upper and lower portions of said members closer together, so that the ends of the column webs are brought together, as shown in Fig. 5. The side frame is thus formed at its widestpoint, to-wit, at its informed. Fourth, punching out blanks for column guides, as shown in Fig. 15. Fifth,

bending column guides into shape, as shown in. Figs, 9, 10 and 11. Sixth, placing coluinn e top and bottom members, (6 and 7,) after remaining web portions 4 have been brought in contact with each other. Seventh, spot welding the column guides to the above mentioned web portions, as indicated on Fig. Eighth, welding the ends of the top and bottom truck members together, completing the truck frame proper. Ninth, bending the brake hanger brackets 9, and the spring plank brackets on the column guides into proper position. Tenth, stamping out the spring plank or spring angle saddle 11, as shown on Fig. 14. Eleventh,

bending this spring plank saddle into shape, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

A truck frame constructed in accordance with my invention, above described, will have a large amount of strength with a small amount of metal, and the strength of the same is very greatly increased by interlocking engagement of the column guides with the top and bottom, or compression and tension members of the said frames. Furthermore, as a result of in improved process, great economy is efl'ecte b the elimination of practically all waste 0 metal, substantially the entire web portion of the original I-beam being utilized in the formation of the column guides and spring plank saddles of the truck.

What I claim is:

l. The process of constructing truck side frames from flanged lnetal beams, which consists in cutting blanks from the intermediate portion of the web of said beam, to form top and bottom members and column webs of the frame, bending together and uniting the ends of said top and bottom members, decreasing the depth of the inter mediate portion of said frame, and applying to said column webs, column guideswhich at their ends interlock with the top and bottom members of said frame.

2. T he process of constructing truck side frames from flanged metal beams, which consists in cutting blanks from the inter1nediate portion of the web of said beam, to thereb ."form the top and bottom members and column webs of the frame, bending together and uniting the ends of the said top and bottoin men'ibers, decreasing the depth of the intermediate portion of said frame, forming from blanks punched from the web of said beam, column guides having gr ater vertical length than the distance between intermediate portions of said top and bottom members, and applying said column guides to said colmnn webs with their upper and lower ends interlocked with the webs of said top and bottom members.

3. The process of coustrm-ting truck side frames from commercial I-beams. which consists in entirely severing the upper and lower portions of said beams by cutting blanks from the intermediate portion thereof, to thereby form the top and bottom members and column webs with intermediate portions cut away from the latter,;bendin and welding together the end portions 0 said top and bottom members, decreasing the depth of the intermediate portion of said frame, forming from blanks cut from the web of said Lbeum column guides having greater vertical length than the'dista'nce between intermediate portions of said top and bottom members, and ap 'ilying said column guides to said column webs with their upper and lower ends overlapped and interlocked with the webs of thesaid top and bottom frame members. i

4. The process of constructing truck side frames from commercial I-b'eams, whichconsists in entirely severing the upper and lower portions of said beam"by'cutting blanks from the intermediate portion thereof, to thereby form the top and bottom members and column webs with intermediate portions cut away from the latter, bending and welding together the end portions of said top and bottom members, decreasing the depth of the intermediate portion of said frame and thereby bringing together the ends of the severed column webs, forming fromblanks cut from the web of said I-beams, column uides having notches in their upper and lbwer ends, applying said column guides to said column webs with their notched ends overlapped and interlocked with the webs of said top and bottom members, and welding said column guides to said column webs.

5. The process of constructing truck side frames from flanged metal beams, which consists in cutting blanks from the intermediate portion of the web of said beam, to thereby form the top and bottom members and column webs of the frame, bending together and uniting the ends of the said top and bottom, members, decreasing the depth of the intern'iediate portion of said frame, forming from blanks punched from the web of said beam, column guides having guides having greater vertical length than the distance between intermediate portions of said top and bottom Illiflitlftl'S, applying said column guides to said column webs with their upper and lower aids interlocked with the webs of said top and bottom frame members, and forming a spring plank saddle from a blank punched from the flange of said I- beam and applying said saddle to the lower framwmember between said column guides.

(3. The process of constructing truck side frames from flanged metal beams, which consists in cutting blanks frou-i, the intermediate portion of the web of said beam, to thereby form the top and bottom members and column webs of the frame, bending togather and uniting the ends of the said. iop and bottom members, decreasing the depth of the intermediate portion of said frame,

forming from blanks punohed from the we l";

of said beam, column guides having greater vertical length than the distance between intermediate portions of said top and bottom members, applying said column guides; to said column webs with their "upper and lower ends interlocked with the Webs of said top and bottom frame members, forming a. spring plank saddle from a blank punched from the flangev of said I-beam, applying said. saddle to the lower frame member be tween said column guides, and rigidly securing a cross tie orvtransom to said saddle and to the lower portions of said column guides.

' '7. The process of constructing truck side frames from flanged metal beams, which I beam, zip;

mnsists in J L:

said beam. in; thereby form top 2 column WfrlPS oi X and oniiing theendi: of d members forming: oohiizm. blanks cut from so 1.,

'1 in guides A column Webs; and oopl 11g said m the bottom frame m,.n*er bet-Ween sai nit-"1n gi IVA) A. RANDEL,

Witnesses EL D. l gn oonn, F. I). MERCHANT. 

